Phoenix Dwarf

Phoenix Dwarf
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Phoenix
Right ascension 01h 51m 06.3s[1]
Declination −44° 26 41[1]
Redshift 60 ± 30 km/s[1]
Distance 1.44 ± 0.07 Mly (440 ± 20 kpc)[2][3]
Type IAm[1]
Apparent dimensions (V) 4′.9 × 4′.1[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 13.1[1]
Notable features -
Other designations
ESO 245- G 007,[1] PGC 6830[1]

The Phoenix Dwarf is a dwarf galaxy and an irregular galaxy that was discovered in 1976 by Hans-Emil Schuster and Richard Martin West and mistaken for a globular cluster.[4][5] It is currently 1.44 Mly away from Earth. Its name comes from the fact that it is part of the Phoenix constellation.

Characteristics

The Phoenix dwarf has an inner part of young stars which is stretched in an east-west direction and an outer part of mainly old stars that is stretched north-south. The central region's rate of star formation seems to have been relatively constant across time (Martínez-Delgado et al. 1999). In 1999, St-Germain et al. discovered a H I region of about 105 M just to the west of Phoenix. Its radial velocity is -23 km/s and may be physically associated with Phoenix if it is found to have a similar radial velocity.[6]

Phoenix Dwarf by HST

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for Phoenix Dwarf. Retrieved 2007-03-15.
  2. I. D. Karachentsev, V. E. Karachentseva, W. K. Hutchmeier, D. I. Makarov (2004). "A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies". Astronomical Journal 127 (4): 2031–2068. Bibcode:2004AJ....127.2031K. doi:10.1086/382905.
  3. Karachentsev, I. D.; Kashibadze, O. G. (2006). "Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field". Astrophysics 49 (1): 3–18. Bibcode:2006Ap.....49....3K. doi:10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6.
  4. Schuster, H.-E.; West, R. M. (May 1976). "A very distant globular cluster?". Astronomy & Astrophysics 49: 129–131. Bibcode:1976A&A....49..129S.
  5. Canterna, R.; Flower, P. J. (March 1977). "A new dwarf irregular galaxy in the constellation Phoenix". Astrophysical Journal 212 (Letters): L57–L58. Bibcode:1977ApJ...212L..57C. doi:10.1086/182374.
  6. van den Bergh, Sidney (April 2000). "Updated Information on the Local Group". The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 112 (770): 529–536. arXiv:astro-ph/0001040. Bibcode:2000PASP..112..529V. doi:10.1086/316548.

External links

Coordinates: 01h 51m 06.3s, −44° 26′ 41″